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["Lisa K.V. Perry" <lisakvperry AT gmail.com>]

This is way off-topic, but it has been on my mind all week. We live 30
minutes from Tech. (Our departed homestead friend, Tvo, lived closer to Tech
in Giles County). In Floyd (and Floyd County), even if you don't directly
work for Tech or have a student at Tech, you know someone who does. We were
on campus last Saturday so my husband could put up flyers for upcoming gigs.

My oldest son's FCHS band teacher was interviewed (during band class) on
Talk of the Nation on NPR. She was good friends with the RA who died. My
younger son's soccer coach, a Tech student, cancelled practice this week so
he could go home. The Sat. game will be coached by a parent this weekend. A
friend of mine in Floyd has a good friend who is a professor in Norris Hall,
she lost several students in the shooting. My best friend in Floyd is a Tech
alumni. Another friend's husband is employed by Tech.

During the convocation on Tuesday, I was 1/2 a mile away with my foster
client at the dentist office in Blacksburg. The convocation was played on
the speaker system. The dentist's practice lost two clients, both 18, in the
tragedy.

Today is the first day all week that my stomach hasn't hurt. Tragedies
happen every day, this one was just too close to home. In fact, when I told
our youngest (going on 12) what happened on Monday afternoon--when it was
then 22 dead--he said "It sounds like a car bomb," referring to the war.
Thankfully, we don't have car bombs, but he's heard about them a few times
every week for the last few years. Tragedies have and will, unfortunately,
continue to occur, but it seems like the younger generation is beginning to
experience them as part of every day life.

We lost power on Monday with the high winds, it came back on Wednesday
afternoon. Today looks to be a beautiful spring day, perhaps spring is
coming back to stay. We certainly need it. Life goes on, today feels better
than yesterday. We don't know what tomorrow will bring so live your life
today.

Sorry to bring up this subject. I know everyone has already had enough,
myself included.

Lisa